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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · land · mate · sharp · bass · toast · saw · rash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — ground
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bass — low music
  11. rash — a series
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. land — a country
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rash — hasty
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  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