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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 116 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: vault · bank · trunk · season · stem · bowl · coach · cue

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stem — to come from
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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