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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: snap · file · leaves · vault · content · wave · perch · temple

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. snap — to click
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — happy
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — the fish
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. content — the amount
  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