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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: bay · coach · vault · toast · rule · tube · band · bear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — bread
  10. vault — a safe
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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