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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: trunk · chip · wound · arm · vault · mark · lean · pitch

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — thin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wound — an injury
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitch — completely

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