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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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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: straw · cell · temple · coach · wind · staff · mate · vault

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. staff — a stick
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mate — a friend
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mate — a partner
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cell — in a prison

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