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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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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: cell · wound · fine · stand · wake · vault · coach · current

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wound — an injury
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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