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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: date · hide · mark · fall · vault · toast · spring · bay

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spring — the season
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. toast — bread
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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