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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: saw · perch · bore · stand · bark · pass · wake · root

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bark — to shout
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pass — a permit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wake — a trail

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