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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: rest · toast · straw · vault · march · stock · snap · saw

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — bread
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — a break
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stock — goods
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. vault — a safe

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