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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: staff · bore · present · race · vault · toast

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. toast — bread
  4. race — a contest
  5. present — there
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. present — a gift
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — the time now
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. toast — the most admired

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