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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: perch · nail · content · vault · ground · toast · wave · rest

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. toast — bread
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — the earth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rest — a break
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — the amount
  10. ground — crushed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — a safe
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. ground — a position
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. content — happy
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. nail — on a finger

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