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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: stand · wave · race · date · fall · hide · vault · sharp

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. date — the fruit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — the arms race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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