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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · wave · vault · track · last · patient · foot · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — a measure
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — to keep track
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. track — a path
  17. band — a music group
  18. charge — in control
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. track — a song
  22. last — finally
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. charge — electricity

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