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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. file — a document
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — a country
  9. last — finally
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — to come down
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. last — final
  23. land — ground
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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