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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: vault · wound · squash · bulb · stem · charge · perch · rule

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — for a bird

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