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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 · staff · root · lean · mate · rush · toast · stock

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. vault — a safe
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mate — a partner
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — of a word
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — hurry
  20. root — the cause
  21. toast — bread
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. staff — employees
  24. root — of a plant

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