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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: chair · wake · toast · fan · perch · vault · bowl · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. toast — bread
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — a trail
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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