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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: straw · racket · pass · face · lash · vault · perch · court

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. court — for sport
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — part of the head
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — of law
  21. vault — a safe
  22. court — of a king
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. straw — dry grass

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