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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. capital — money
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wind — moving air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — a city

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