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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — a gift
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fall — the season
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — a tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. present — the time now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — there
  22. pit — in a race
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. chair — a leader

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