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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 116 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: rock · mate · object · vault · rush · wound · bore · perch

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — to protest
  17. rock — music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mate — to breed
  24. 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