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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.

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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: vault · cap · rest · bear · perch · row · fall · racket

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rest — a break
  5. cap — of ice
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a hat
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  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