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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: present · perch · dip · charge · spell · vault · last · cap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — magic
  6. last — final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a hat
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — letters
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. charge — a price
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — in control
  21. dip — to sink
  22. present — the time now
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cap — of ice

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