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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: coach · vault · perch · prune · staff · fan · nail · roll

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. roll — a list
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a cake
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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