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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: wave · tube · roll · deal · court · vault · rash · bay

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. court — of law
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rash — a series
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — of a king
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — a container
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rash — hasty

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