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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: ground · last · pass · toast · rock · race · vault · plane

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. race — the arms race
  3. ground — a position
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. race — a contest
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. toast — bread
  8. ground — crushed
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pass — a permit
  13. last — to go on
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. race — humankind
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rock — a stone
  22. last — final
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. last — finally

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