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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: sharp · stem · coach · wind · rest · vault · stick · press

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — moving air
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. press — a publisher
  8. vault — a safe
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stem — to come from
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wind — moving air
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rest — a break
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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