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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: coach · pass · saw · vault · cabinet · perch · stem · cold

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stem — to come from
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cold — an illness
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cold — not warm
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to succeed

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