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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · spring · hand · track · craft · can · vault · rest

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hand — help
  3. craft — a skill
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — a song
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a path
  10. vault — a safe
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — to keep track
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — the fish
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spring — the season
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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