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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 116 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bat — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. lean — to bend
  13. can — to be able to
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. vault — a safe
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tube — in a tire

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