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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 120 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: swing · vault · perch · deal · hide · wake · lean · prune

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lean — thin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. swing — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. vault — a safe
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — a trail

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