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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: dip · wave · content · mate · vault · perch · scale · kick

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kick — in football
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — a sauce

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