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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: perch · season · shower · foot · fork · date · vault · trunk

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — a safe
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. season — of the year
  22. date — the fruit
  23. shower — to wash
  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