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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 120 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: bound · coach · vault · spring · stick · deal · wake · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bound — certain
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — a coil
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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