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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · mug · toast · ground · coach · race · band · vault

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rush — hurry
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mug — a face
  7. race — the arms race
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ground — the earth
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ground — a position
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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