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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: trunk · file · game · vault · saw · leaves · swing · stem

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a document
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. game — wild animals
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. game — a match
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a tool

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