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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 · bowl · pop · wax · hide · perch · mark · mouse

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pop — to visit

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