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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — to be able to
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — there
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — the season

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