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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: firm · coach · wake · lean · rock · vault · lie · cue

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — to bend
  5. firm — decided
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lean — to rest against

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