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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: present · stand · vault · firm · jam · toast · tear · spell

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. spell — letters
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — a company
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. toast — bread
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. tear — to rip
  18. spell — a short time
  19. firm — decided
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stand — to bear
  22. present — there
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stand — for spectators

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