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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: dip · trunk · lean · spring · pop · bank · vault · cue

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. spring — the season
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bank — of a river
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. cue — a signal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. trunk — of a tree

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