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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 · cell · wax · vault · suit · game · fork · roll

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. game — wild animals
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fork — in a road
  5. suit — clothes
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — bread
  11. cell — in biology
  12. roll — a list
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cell — a phone
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. suit — in cards

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