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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: trunk · season · kick · vault · lie · craft · drill · present

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. craft — boats
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. present — there
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kick — in football
  19. craft — a skill
  20. present — the time now
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — a gift
  24. drill — army training

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