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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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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: season · lie · toast · vault · last · cap · key · rash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cap — a lid
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rash — hasty
  5. last — to go on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. last — final
  10. vault — a safe
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. last — finally
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rash — a series
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — for a lock

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