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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: sharp · straw · shower · coach · vault · wind · key · staff

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. shower — rain
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — the most important part
  9. shower — to wash
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — moving air
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. key — for a lock
  24. coach — a trainer

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