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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: mate · rock · bank · swing · face · perch · vault · pound

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. face — to confront
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — a safe
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a friend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — to point toward

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