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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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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 · rest · wake · squash · mark · net · arm · snap

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a trace
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rest — what's left

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