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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · board · vault · spell · last · chip · rash · toast

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. board — to get on
  10. last — to go on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — a short time
  18. last — finally
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — bread
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. last — final
  24. rash — a series

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