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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · vault · wave · mark · wind · saw · chair · dip

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — humankind
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — a contest
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a grade
  19. race — the arms race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wind — moving air

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