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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 116 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: cabinet · vault · hand · coach · board · prune

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hand — in cards

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