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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.

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: plane · stick · can · spring · perch · vault · wax · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spring — of water
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — the fish
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spring — the season
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — a safe
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — a tin

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