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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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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: vault · wave · sharp · mate · lie · staff · wind · stock

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wind — moving air
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — a friend
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lie — to recline
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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