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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: stock · chair · staff · trunk · wake · vault · cabinet · fan

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stock — goods
  12. staff — employees
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — a safe
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — shares
  17. staff — employees
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chair — a leader
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cabinet — ministers

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