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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: band · vault · wave · dip · tear · saw · fine · season

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. band — a music group
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — a safe
  12. season — in sport
  13. tear — to rip
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — to sink
  23. band — a ring
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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