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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 · file · wound · lean · scale · land · vault · bay

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — to bend
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — ground
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. file — a line of people
  11. land — to come down
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. file — a tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — a country
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wound — an injury

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