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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · leaves · firm · toast · craft · track · rush · prune

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. track — a path
  3. craft — a skill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. firm — decided
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — bread
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — boats
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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