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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: vault · coach · ground · jam · firm · stem · nail · rest

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — crushed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ground — a position
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — to come from
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. firm — a company
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ground — the earth
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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