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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · pitcher · perch · pass · face · lie · club · bark

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lie — to recline
  14. perch — the fish
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — a group
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bark — to shout
  22. face — to confront
  23. club — for golf
  24. pass — to spend time

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