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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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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: band · vault · staff · toast · cold · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a ring
  3. vault — a safe
  4. band — a music group
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cold — an illness
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. staff — employees
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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