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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: chest · dip · cap · vault · coach · racket · trunk · squash

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — the sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chest — a box
  9. squash — to crush
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cap — of ice
  15. vault — a safe
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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