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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spring — the season
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — of a king
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. court — of law
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. court — for sport
  19. rash — hasty
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — an aim

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