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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: track · wake · vault · stick · kick · row · last · ground

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — to go on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. track — a path
  8. row — to paddle
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. last — finally
  11. kick — in football
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. last — final
  20. row — a line
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. ground — a position
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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