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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. foot — a measure
  3. present — the time now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fall — the season
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — a path
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — there

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