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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: track · bear · wave · mark · last · vault · racket · bore

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — final
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. last — to go on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. vault — a safe
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bore — to tire
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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