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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.

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: sharp · lean · perch · firm · object · mine · bay · bark

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. firm — steady
  4. bark — to shout
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. firm — a company
  12. object — an aim
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — decided
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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