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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · racket · wind · trunk · chip · vault

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. chip — to eat
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. toast — bread
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. trunk — of a tree

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