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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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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: last · wake · board · rash · kick · pound · vault · cell

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cell — a phone
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. last — finally
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. vault — a safe
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — to get on
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pound — a weight

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