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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: chest · vault · foot · shower · toast · bat · bay · craft

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chest — a box
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. foot — a measure
  9. vault — a safe
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — boats
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. shower — rain
  23. craft — a skill
  24. chest — of your body

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