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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.

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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: bound · last · pound · rush · vault · coach · cabinet · plane

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. rush — hurry
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — a tool
  13. last — finally
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bound — certain
  23. last — final
  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