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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · wake · march · coach · lean · court · vault · mine

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — for a lock
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — for digging
  7. march — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. court — of law
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — for sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. court — of a king
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mine — an explosive

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