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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 120 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: stick · perch · tube · fine · pit · snap · wave · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to click
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fine — all right
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — a container
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the animal

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