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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: vault · fall · rest · rock · rash · tube · perch · ground

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fall — the season
  4. rest — a break
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rock — music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rash — hasty
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — crushed

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