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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 120 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: perch · rush · vault · pitcher · dip · lean · sharp · spell

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spell — magic
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lean — thin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — a short time
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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