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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: land · vault · mouse · wind · mark · dip · fine · toast

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. land — ground
  5. wind — moving air
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. dip — a sauce

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