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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: mine · leaves · wave · wound · row · kick · coach · vault

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. row — to paddle
  13. kick — in football
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a line
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — belonging to me

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