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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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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: vault · roll · face · rush · nail · toast · plane · row

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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 — to hurry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. row — a line
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. row — to paddle
  10. face — to point toward
  11. roll — a cake
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. face — to confront

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