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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: game · rule · fall · wave · vault · straw · rest · stand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — government
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rest — a break
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. game — a match
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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