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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.

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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 · perch · kid · plane · squash · rock · mug · tear

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kid — child
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tear — to rip
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — music
  13. snap — to click
  14. mug — a cup
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rock — a stone
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — a face
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kid — to tease

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