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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: rest · dip · cap · perch · leaves · tear · face · vault

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cap — a lid
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rest — a break

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