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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — letters
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spell — a short time
  15. object — an aim
  16. vault — a safe
  17. object — to protest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — a thing

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