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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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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: board · bowl · firm · spring · tube · vault · trunk · hand

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. hand — help
  9. vault — a safe
  10. firm — a company
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — of water
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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