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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · rash · vault · face · drill · lean · jam · stem

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. face — to confront
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lean — thin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — a series

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