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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: roll · vault · cabinet · chip · lean · pound · present · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — there
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — thin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — for betting
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. present — the time now
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. roll — a list
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. roll — a cake

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