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

Word bank: temple · cabinet · vault · pitch · trunk · shower · wound · stick

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. shower — to wash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. vault — a safe
  24. shower — rain

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