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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: can · wake · perch · bay · object · toast · vault · staff

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — to be able to
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — the fish
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — bread
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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