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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a ring
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. current — happening now
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a document
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — of water
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wound — an injury
  24. vault — a safe

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