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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. key — in music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bark — to shout
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — child
  24. vault — a safe

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