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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: nail · bank · can · bass · perch · snap · lean · mine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — thin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. nail — for a hammer

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