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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: vault · rash · lean · wave · wake · cabinet · bowl · fine

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fine — all right
  24. rash — on the skin

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