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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: last · vault · pit · can · rush · plane · wind · toast

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. toast — bread
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. last — final
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — finally
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rush — hurry
  24. toast — the most admired

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