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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · spell · file · cue · fan · board · vault · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cue — a hint
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — for pool

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