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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 116 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: wake · land · coach · snap · prune · lie · pass · vault

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. snap — to click
  18. lie — to recline
  19. land — ground
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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