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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: bark · bay · hide · perch · fine · lie · swing · staff

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lie — to recline
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bark — to shout
  10. swing — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — high quality

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