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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. roll — a list
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rest — a break
  12. chest — a box
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kid — child
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kid — to tease
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rest — what's left

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