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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: vault · perch · net · wax · fall · cabinet · deal · mine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — in sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. net — for catching
  11. deal — to handle
  12. net — after costs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fall — the season
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — for digging
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — an explosive

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