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

Word bank: stick · vault · trunk · tube · pass · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. trunk — of a car

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