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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: chair · lean · capital · coach · pop · stem · vault · nail

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lean — thin
  12. capital — a city
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pop — music
  15. capital — money
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stem — to come from
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chair — a leader
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lean — to rest against

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