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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: wave · stick · file · present · object · wake · vault · last

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. last — to go on
  6. file — a tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a line of people
  11. object — an aim
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. present — there
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. last — final
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — finally
  24. file — a document

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