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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.

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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.

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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: stand · perch · march · nail · craft · kick · chest · bark

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stand — to bear
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. kick — in football
  20. chest — of your body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chest — a box

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