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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fall — to drop
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. game — a match
  20. chip — for betting
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — wild animals
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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