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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: mine · vault · dip · lean · toast · jam · race · mate

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — the arms race
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. toast — bread
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. race — humankind
  10. mate — a partner
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. race — a contest
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — thin
  24. toast — the most admired

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