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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — army training
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — crushed
  24. drill — the tool

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