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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: calf · straw · current · vault · wake · coach · cue · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. current — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cue — for pool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. vault — a safe
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a signal
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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