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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: pop · current · rush · vault · straw · coach · fan · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pop — music
  13. current — happening now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. current — electric
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pop — to visit
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — to come from
  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