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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: pound · rock · perch · mine · safe · fan · vault · squash

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rock — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pound — a weight
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rock — a stone

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