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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: bore · foot · vault · board · toast · leaves · land · key

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. board — to get on
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. land — to come down
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bore — to tire
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — a measure
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — a country
  23. key — in music
  24. toast — bread

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