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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. board — to get on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. object — an aim
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. board — a committee
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. capital — money

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