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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · perch · vault · object · drill · stick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — army training
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — a practice
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. tear — from crying
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird

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