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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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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: march · lie · lash · board · fall · present · vault · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — to recline
  19. march — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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