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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: toast · mug · race · vault · shower · suit

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. shower — rain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. race — humankind
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. race — the arms race
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. suit — clothes
  13. toast — bread
  14. vault — a safe
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — a contest
  18. shower — to wash

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