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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
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 · wake · can · snap · rush · rock · bowl · lean

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rock — music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lean — thin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bowl — a football final

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