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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: snap · vault · game · lie · last · perch · lean · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. last — final
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — to recline
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. game — wild animals
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — a safe
  15. snap — to click
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — thin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lean — to rest against

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