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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bound — certain
  4. perch — the fish
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. current — electric
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — of water
  18. toast — bread
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — happening now
  21. chest — a box
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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