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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: coach · key · stick · bear · shower · fork · vault · fan

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — rain
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — for a lock
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fork — a garden tool

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