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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — a container
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chest — a box
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — of a river

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