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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. last — final
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — moving air
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — decided
  18. present — the time now
  19. firm — a company
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. firm — steady
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bowl — a football final

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