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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: foot · bore · hide · wave · pass · wake · land · vault

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. land — ground
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. land — to come down
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. land — a country
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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