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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · scale · clip · rule · pitcher · current · wake · vault

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. rule — a law
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. clip — a video
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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