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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
468
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: mark · cold · date · fine · staff · vault · trunk · coach

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cold — an illness
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — a stick
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. staff — employees
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. staff — employees
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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