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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bound — obliged
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. vault — a safe
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fine — high quality
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. track — a song
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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