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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stand — to bear
  3. snap — to click
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — to come down
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. land — ground
  22. bound — obliged
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — of the sea

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