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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 120 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: object · fall · court · perch · vault · rock · face · arm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — the season
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. court — for sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. object — to protest
  9. face — part of the head
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — of a king
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. court — of law
  24. vault — a safe

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