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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 120 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: staff · stick · dip · wake · present · coach · cabinet · firm

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — decided

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