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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 116 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: bear · safe · lash · land · game · bark · racket · perch

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — to shout
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. land — a country
  24. racket — for tennis

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