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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: mate · wound · toast · jam · vault · spell · ruler · rock

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — bread
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spell — a short time
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rock — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. spell — letters
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mate — to breed
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — magic
  20. mate — a friend
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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