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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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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: rest · vault · wave · ball · pass · march · lean · tear

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lean — to bend
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — to rip
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lean — thin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pass — a permit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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