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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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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: land · foot · march · wave · bore · toast · vault · file

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. march — music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. foot — a measure
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bore — to drill
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a document
  17. bore — to tire
  18. toast — bread
  19. file — a tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — a country
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. land — to come down

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