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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: suit · content · stem · vault · cabinet · wound · bat · coach

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. content — happy
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. suit — in cards
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bat — for baseball
  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