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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · row · vault · safe · bass · bark · sharp · land

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. row — a line
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. land — to come down
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bark — to shout
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — clever
  19. land — a country
  20. bass — the fish
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. vault — a safe
  23. land — ground
  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