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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: toast · track · present · nail · shower · game · vault · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — the time now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a song
  6. present — there
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. shower — to wash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a path
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. last — finally
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — rain
  23. last — final
  24. game — a match

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