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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: wake · mark · vault · saw · hand · toast · ball · sharp

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — bread
  11. hand — help
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hand — in cards
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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