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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 116 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: vault · board · wind · squash · pound · wave

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. squash — to crush
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. board — a committee
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — to get on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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