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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: bore · cell · scale · mark · cold · wake · wave · vault

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mark — a grade
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cold — an illness
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cold — not warm
  19. scale — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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