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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: scale · vault · bank · land · leaves · perch · bay · straw

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bank — for money
  8. perch — the fish
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. land — ground

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