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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 · can · snap · tear · nail · clip · firm · pitcher

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. snap — to click
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. firm — a company
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tear — from crying
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tear — from crying
  16. clip — a video
  17. firm — steady
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tear — to rip
  24. clip — for paper

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