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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: trunk · track · mug · vault · rock · snap · net · chest

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chest — a box
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rock — a stone
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rock — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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