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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
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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: perch · object · wake · wave · pop · wound · foot · tube

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tube — a container
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — to protest
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. object — an aim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — a thing

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