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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · calf · vault · wake · wave · roll · spring · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. roll — a cake
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spring — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. file — a document
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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