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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spell — letters
  16. rock — music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — a trail
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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