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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pass — a permit
  19. file — a document
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a tool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. calf — a young animal

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