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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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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: kid · leaves · nail · bass · hand · foot · perch · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. perch — the fish
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hand — help
  18. foot — a measure
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. kid — child

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