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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: capital · vault · wake · rash · race · mate · stem · toast

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. toast — bread
  3. mate — a partner
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a friend
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wake — a trail
  11. capital — a city
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. race — a contest
  18. mate — to breed
  19. race — humankind
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rash — hasty
  24. race — the arms race

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