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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: dip · chest · march · date · rule · perch · can · vault

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. can — a tin
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chest — of your body
  4. can — a tin
  5. chest — a box
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. can — to be able to
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rule — a law
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. date — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — government
  23. march — music
  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