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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — a box
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. craft — boats
  5. charge — electricity
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — a safe
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. shower — rain
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. perch — the fish
  18. dip — to sink
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — a price
  22. shower — to wash
  23. spell — letters
  24. charge — in control

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