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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: vault · land · rest · wake · face · toast · suit · arm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. toast — bread
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rest — a break
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. wake — a trail
  21. land — to come down
  22. face — part of the head
  23. suit — to fit
  24. face — to point toward

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