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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 · tear · toast · last · craft · bear · safe · saw

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. tear — to rip
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. vault — a safe
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — to go on
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. last — final
  24. toast — bread

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