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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cold — an illness
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rock — a stone
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rock — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cold — the Cold War

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