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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: rash · mouse · pound · wake · vault · chip · last · cabinet

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. last — final
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. rash — a series
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mouse — for a computer

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