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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rock — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fall — to drop

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