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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: vault · rule · coach · wax · ball · lash · pitcher · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ball — a dance

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