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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: last · rest · fan · vault · hide · season · pop · coach

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — final
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — to go on
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. season — in sport
  22. pop — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. hide — animal skin

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