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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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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 · wave · nail · field · fork · drill · leaves · scale

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. drill — a practice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. field — a subject
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. drill — army training
  24. scale — for weighing

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