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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. kick — in football
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. present — there
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. file — a document
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. file — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. game — a match
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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