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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. date — the fruit
  3. last — finally
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. clip — to cut
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. last — final
  11. clip — a video
  12. row — a line
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — the season
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. last — to go on

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