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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: fork · suit · wind · toast · fine · vault · date · rash

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fine — all right
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wind — moving air
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — a series
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. suit — in cards
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. fine — high quality
  20. vault — a safe
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — to eat with

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