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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. object — a thing
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bass — low music
  13. cell — a phone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. object — an aim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bass — the fish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cell — in biology
  24. object — to protest

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