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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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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: mine · stand · wake · stick · kid · band · vault · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. kid — child
  5. last — finally
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. band — a music group
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. last — to go on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mine — for digging

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