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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: vault · perch · spring · rest · chest · deal · board · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spring — the season
  9. chest — a box
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — of water
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chest — of your body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. spring — a coil
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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