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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: capital · lie · saw · fall · track · rush · vault · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — hurry
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — the season
  13. vault — a safe
  14. track — to keep track
  15. capital — a city
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — a song
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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