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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.

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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: wound · wake · suit · vault · coach · press · race · fall

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — a contest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — the season
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — clothes
  18. race — humankind
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. suit — to fit

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