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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: last · pound · face · vault · perch · pitcher · chest · suit

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. suit — clothes
  4. last — finally
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chest — a box
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — to fit
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chest — of your body

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