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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: suit · track · straw · leaves · vault · perch · cap · rock

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. track — a song
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cap — a hat
  7. perch — the fish
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. suit — in cards
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — a path
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — clothes

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