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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: swing · firm · chest · fan · trunk · current · deal · vault

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. firm — steady
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. current — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — electric
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — happening now
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. chest — a box
  20. swing — music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — to play on

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