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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: spell · bear · vault · shower · chest · pound · mug · perch

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mug — to rob
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. shower — rain
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chest — a box
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a face
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — the animal

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