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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. chest — a box
  3. land — to come down
  4. board — a committee
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. board — to get on
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wake — a trail
  18. land — a country
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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