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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: root · lie · bound · cap · pass · chest · toast · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. root — of a word
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. root — the cause
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — of ice
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cap — a lid
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — to succeed

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