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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 116 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: kid · perch · bark · nail · cue · straw · stem · mug

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kid — child
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kid — to tease
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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