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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: mark · bound · perch · toast · wake · vault · date · shower

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wake — a trail
  8. date — the fruit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mark — a grade
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. shower — rain
  17. bound — certain
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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