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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: rest · coach · bass · press · craft · vault

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — boats
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bass — low music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. press — a publisher
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. press — to push
  17. vault — a safe
  18. craft — a skill

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