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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: roll · bat · squash · mark · lean · wave · vault · cabinet

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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 — in gymnastics
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lean — to bend
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. roll — a list
  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