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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: bass · race · stem · coach · straw · toast · bark · vault

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — bread
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. race — a contest
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. race — humankind
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. race — the arms race
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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