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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
468
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: mate · wave · ball · capital · press · tube · vault · leaves

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. press — to push
  6. tube — a container
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mate — a friend
  10. capital — a city
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. press — a publisher
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. capital — money
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — the underground
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wave — of the sea

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