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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: vault · last · rush · rock · march · lash · toast · mate

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. vault — a safe
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. toast — bread
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. last — finally
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — a friend
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. last — final
  24. rush — hurry

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