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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: wave · vault · pop · race · content · patient · stand · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — a contest
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — happy
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pop — to visit
  20. content — the amount
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pop — soda

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