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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · fan · toast · vault · wax · mark · coach · cell

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — hurry
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. toast — bread
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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