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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.

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: rush · pitcher · perch · mine · snap · club · wave · foot

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — a group
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — a measure
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mine — for digging
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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