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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: toast · stock · row · vault · plane · trunk · fall · rest

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rest — a break
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stock — goods
  5. plane — a tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fall — the season
  13. row — a line
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — an aircraft

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