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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · date · tube · snap · lean · pass · net · hand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tube — a container
  5. net — after costs
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — in sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to click
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — a permit
  23. hand — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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