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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — a trail
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. vault — a safe
  7. march — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — in football
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ball — a dance

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