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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: scale · snap · perch · kick · wave · branch · bore · clip

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. clip — a video
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. clip — for paper
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. snap — to click
  12. perch — the fish
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bore — to tire
  20. branch — a division
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kick — with a leg

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