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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: mate · vault · perch · bound · club · toast · prune · calf

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — a safe
  6. prune — to trim
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. perch — the fish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — a group
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mate — to breed
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bound — certain
  23. toast — bread
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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