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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · pitcher · fall · vault · spell · perch · current · hide

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — a safe
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — happening now
  8. wake — a trail
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — letters
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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