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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: stick · sharp · vault · trunk · nail · straw · land · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. 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. wound — an injury
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. land — to come down
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — clever
  22. land — ground
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. 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