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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.

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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: hand · kick · track · kid · can · foot · wave · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — a song
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. kid — child
  14. can — to be able to
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. track — a path
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wave — with your hand

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