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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: squash · shower · wave · saw · perch · vault · chip · cap

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. shower — to wash
  14. perch — the fish
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — for betting
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cap — a hat

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