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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: game · bound · wake · vault · lie · last · board · squash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bound — tied together
  6. last — finally
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — to recline
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — to go on
  18. bound — obliged
  19. last — final
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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