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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — humankind
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. shower — rain
  14. race — the arms race
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. craft — boats
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — a safe
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. shower — to wash

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