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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 · kick · current · pound · safe · rest · vault · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pound — a weight
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — final
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. current — of water
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — in football
  15. last — finally
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. current — happening now
  18. rest — what's left
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — electric
  22. last — to go on
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pound — for dogs

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