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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 · race · deal · staff · wax · foot · toast · land

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — to grow
  5. race — the arms race
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. toast — bread
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. race — a contest
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. land — ground
  19. foot — a measure
  20. staff — a stick
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. race — humankind

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