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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: season · game · vault · last · nail · craft · bound · band

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a ring
  5. last — finally
  6. season — of the year
  7. vault — a safe
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. game — a match
  10. last — to go on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a music group
  14. bound — certain
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. craft — boats
  17. game — wild animals
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — in sport
  22. bound — obliged
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bound — tied together

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