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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.

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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: staff · lean · cap · wave · march · ground · suit · vault

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — of ice
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lean — thin
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. march — the month

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