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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: nail · leaves · rash · trunk · root · vault · stick · mug

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. vault — a safe
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mug — a face
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. root — the cause
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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