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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 · snap · bat · fine · roll · wake · tube · squash

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. roll — a list
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. roll — a cake
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — a trail
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to click

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