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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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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: ruler · kick · perch · tube · snap · leaves · deal · band

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. tube — a container
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. deal — an agreement

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