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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: arm · chair · vault · perch · wake · fork · fine · mug

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — all right
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — to eat with

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