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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: rock · sharp · lash · perch · vault · press · bat · fork

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — in a road
  22. press — a publisher
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — to move gently

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