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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: vault · cap · mouse · rash · dip · perch · firm · staff

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. firm — decided
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. staff — a stick
  8. vault — a safe
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — employees
  14. perch — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. staff — employees
  24. cap — of ice

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