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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: rush · pit · pound · last · rash · vault · band · suit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rash — a series
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a music group
  9. rash — hasty
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pit — in a race
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. last — to go on
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. band — a ring

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