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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: vault · spell · present · bear · toast · lean · foot · last

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. last — final
  3. present — the time now
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. present — a gift
  6. lean — thin
  7. spell — magic
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — to bend
  10. toast — bread
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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