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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — a safe
  3. plane — a tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fine — high quality
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fine — all right
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. file — a tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a line of people

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