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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
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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: date · fall · perch · can · vault · cabinet · roll · rush

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — to be able to
  16. roll — a cake
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. roll — a list
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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