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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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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: bulb · key · prune · calf · wind · vault · trunk · pitcher

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — in music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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