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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: key · bass · rest · chair · toast · vault · bowl · snap

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. toast — bread
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — the fish
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bass — low music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bowl — a dish

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