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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: coach · trunk · wind · vault · safe · racket · lean · arm

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — thin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — to bend
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — a safe

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