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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 120 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: rest · season · drill · vault · pound · rush

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. season — in sport
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. drill — army training
  18. rest — a break

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