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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: toast · cap · mark · straw · vault · mouse · rash · ball

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cap — of ice
  4. toast — bread
  5. rash — hasty
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a lid
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mouse — the animal

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