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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: rash · wind · mark · toast · vault · foot · bear · stock

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — a measure
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. toast — bread
  17. stock — goods
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — a trace
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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