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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — a safe
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to click
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rest — a break

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