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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. perch — the fish
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cap — a lid
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to sink

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