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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: toast · fall · net · present · ruler · bank · vault · bore

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. toast — bread
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. net — in sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fall — to drop
  11. present — the time now
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — a gift
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — to drill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fall — the season
  24. bank — for money

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