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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: march · nail · stick · bank · fan · perch · rock · vault

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — the month
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — music
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — music

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