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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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