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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: date · perch · pop · vault · straw · nail · mate · bore

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — a partner
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mate — a friend
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pop — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bore — to drill
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bore — gave birth

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