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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: roll · march · snap · nail · trunk · bound · field · vault

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. vault — a safe
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. snap — to click
  12. roll — a cake
  13. march — the month
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bound — obliged
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. march — music
  19. field — farmland
  20. roll — a list
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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