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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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. file — a document
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. file — a tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fine — all right
  10. face — to confront
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. face — to point toward
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bound — obliged
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. coach — a trainer

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