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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: wake · net · perch · cue · squash · calf · snap · scale

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — a trail
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to click
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. scale — size or range
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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