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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: rule · pop · perch · file · nail · tube · snap · foot

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — a law
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. file — a document
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — to visit
  23. file — a tool
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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