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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: deal · leaves · stick · staff · vault · shower · coach · pit

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a hole
  4. vault — a safe
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — rain
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — to wash

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