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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.

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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: kick · present · perch · wake · nail · hand · can · last

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — to be able to
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. present — a gift
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — finally
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. last — final
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. last — to go on
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — for a hammer

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