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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 124 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mate — to breed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — final
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rock — music
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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