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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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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: stand · court · vault · race · wave · wake · drill · fan

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. drill — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. race — a contest
  10. drill — a practice
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. drill — army training
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. court — for sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. court — of a king

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