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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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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: rock · wound · key · vault · mate · trunk · calf · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rock — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — in music
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — a stone
  20. swing — music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. trunk — of a car

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