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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. race — a contest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. race — the arms race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. race — humankind

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