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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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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: perch · row · stick · staff · wax · bear · bark · lash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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