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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitch — completely

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