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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: perch · safe · suit · face · chest · clip · rash · vault

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — for paper
  3. chest — a box
  4. clip — to cut
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to confront
  8. rash — a series
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. perch — the fish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — part of the head
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chest — of your body
  24. clip — a video

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