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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: cap · bark · perch · shower · saw · lean · bore · lie

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — a hat
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bore — to drill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. shower — rain
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to bend

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