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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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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: pound · mate · key · wave · arm · fall · vault · bowl

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pound — a weight
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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