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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: trunk · stick · pass · tube · rule · vault · date · wave

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. vault — a safe
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tube — a container
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rule — government
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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