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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 · drill · stem · toast · rush · chest · pass · pit

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pass — a permit
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rush — hurry
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chest — a box
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. drill — army training
  20. pit — in a race
  21. toast — bread
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chest — of your body

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