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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: chip · date · trunk · court · hide · vault · rash · leaves

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — hasty
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. vault — a safe
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — of law
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — for sport
  13. chip — for betting
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — a series
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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