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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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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 · game · leaves · vault · squash · calf · stick · wave

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — to crush
  5. file — a document
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. file — a line of people
  12. vault — a safe
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. leaves — lets stay

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