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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · ground · coach · stem · rush · vault · staff · wind

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — employees
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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