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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · rest · vault · clip · cabinet · land · leaves · fan

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — what's left
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. clip — a video
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — a break
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — ground

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