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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · trunk · vault · bat · present · rash · key · saw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. key — in music
  5. present — the time now
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fine — all right
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — a gift
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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