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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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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: wake · arm · game · pit · wave · vault · bound · mug

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bound — certain
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. game — wild animals
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wake — a trail
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pit — a hole

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