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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. last — final
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — to go on
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. last — finally
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rest — a break
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pit — in a race

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