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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: bulb · cap · vault · stand · kick · trunk · bound · net

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. net — after costs
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. net — for catching

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