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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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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: bay · wake · staff · object · pound · key · vault · chair

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. object — an aim
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — for a lock
  24. object — to protest

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