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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. snap — to click
  13. net — after costs
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — money
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. capital — a city

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