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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: band · perch · object · net · calf · bark · lean · date

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. object — an aim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lean — to bend
  19. band — a music group
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. object — to protest
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — a thing
  24. band — a ring

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