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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: kid · wake · key · ruler · nail · perch · wound · fan

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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