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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: toast · wound · sharp · spring · mug · perch · land · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a face
  4. land — a country
  5. mug — a cup
  6. vault — a safe
  7. toast — bread
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. sharp — clever
  15. land — ground
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. land — to come down
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. perch — for a bird

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