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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: trunk · cap · swing · fine · face · vault · lash · last

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fine — high quality
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. last — final
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. face — part of the head
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — to play on
  19. last — finally
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cap — of ice
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — to point toward

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