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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 116 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: bass · perch · vault · cue · spring · wind · bound · present

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bound — obliged
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — the time now
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. present — a gift
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bass — low music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spring — the season
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. spring — of water
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bound — certain

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