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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: wake · bark · root · lean · perch · scale · toast · patient

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. toast — bread
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. perch — the fish
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. root — of a word
  12. scale — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — a trail
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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