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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · bay · spell · bark · perch · prune · lie · roll

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bark — to shout
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com