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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: vault · ground · perch · last · prune · firm · rock · wound

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. last — finally
  11. ground — a position
  12. last — to go on
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. firm — steady
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — a company
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. firm — decided
  22. rock — music
  23. last — final
  24. wound — an injury

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