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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: toast · dip · deal · prune · track · wind · vault · bore

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. deal — to handle
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. toast — bread
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wind — moving air
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. vault — a safe
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wind — to turn a key

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