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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.

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: staff · wake · wound · coach · track · vault · club · object

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — an aim
  5. track — a path
  6. object — a thing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a song
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. staff — employees
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — to protest
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wake — a trail

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