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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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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: tear · perch · kick · hand · fork · saw · mouse · mug

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — a face
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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