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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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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: perch · cabinet · tear · racket · fall · bulb · vault · nail

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tear — from crying
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tear — from crying
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fall — to drop
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bulb — for light
  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