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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. present — a gift
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. current — happening now
  10. chest — a box
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. present — there
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — in football
  18. wound — an injury
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — the time now
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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