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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: cabinet · vault · toast · face · wake · stand · leaves · bulb

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — to bear
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — to confront
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. toast — bread
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bulb — for light
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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