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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · perch · stick · game · tube · toast · vault · hand

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — the fish
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hand — help
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — a container
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. tube — in a tire

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