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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: vault · capital · roll · pass · bound · toast · lie · wake

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — a trail
  3. capital — a city
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — obliged
  6. capital — money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bound — certain
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. roll — a list
  21. pass — a permit
  22. toast — bread
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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