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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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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: can · last · vault · mark · wound · tube · row · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. last — to go on
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a music group
  9. row — to paddle
  10. tube — a container
  11. row — a line
  12. vault — a safe
  13. last — final
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — the underground
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — a grade
  24. last — finally

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