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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: swing · stock · trunk · bear · vault · object · stick · wind

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. swing — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — a thing
  10. stock — goods
  11. object — an aim
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — shares
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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