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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: cell · coach · vault · wake · rush · hide · stand · lie

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — a trail
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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