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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: snap · mine · rock · spell · leaves · perch · scale · wake

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. rock — a stone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — a short time
  16. scale — in music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wake — a trail
  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