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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. land — ground
  16. fall — the season
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitcher — a jug

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