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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: stand · vault · calf · row · trunk · leaves · wave · face

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. row — a line
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. vault — a safe
  24. leaves — to go away

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