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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stock — goods
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — for dancing
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rash — on the skin

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