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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: saw · toast · jam · last · hide · vault · season · rash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — hasty
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. rash — a series
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. toast — bread
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. saw — the tool
  24. toast — the most admired

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