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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 · vault · kick · trunk · mark · wound · bound · pitch

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitch — completely
  4. vault — a safe
  5. last — to go on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. last — final
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — finally
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — an injury

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