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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: stem · kick · rush · wake · ball · bark · present · perch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. present — the time now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. present — there
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — a gift
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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