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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: mate · bark · kick · wound · bank · trunk · perch · ball

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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