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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 · object · fork · vault · wind · spell · mouse · mate

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — an aim
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — a short time
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — a friend
  17. object — to protest
  18. spell — magic
  19. mate — to breed
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. object — a thing
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — for a computer

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