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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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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — a gift
  4. mine — for digging
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fall — the season
  11. present — the time now
  12. kid — child
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — to tease
  18. suit — to fit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. present — there
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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