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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: racket · vault · chest · calf · wave · perch · sharp · bulb

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. sharp — clever
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chest — a box
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — of your body
  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