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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. last — finally
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. last — to go on
  6. board — a committee
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — final
  9. content — happy
  10. press — a publisher
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. vault — a safe
  19. content — the amount
  20. tear — to rip
  21. board — to get on
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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