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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: key · kick · bulb · rash · vault · perch · mouse · date

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kick — in football
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — a safe
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rash — a series
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. key — in music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — the most important part
  24. date — on the calendar

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