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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: can · band · wake · rush · mine · perch · kick · present

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a music group
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — for digging
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. present — a gift

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