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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: club · fan · deal · bound · trunk · plane · vault · leaves

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bound — certain
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — tied together
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bound — obliged
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. plane — in geometry
  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