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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. last — final
  4. row — a line
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — finally
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. object — to protest
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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