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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: spring · vault · nail · staff · lie · trunk · rash · roll

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — a safe
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — a series
  5. roll — a cake
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — of water
  13. staff — a stick
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — a list

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