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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: spring · stick · vault · bear · chair · pass · foot · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spring — of water

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