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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: trunk · vault · fine · jam · stem · scale · track · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — size or range
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. vault — a safe
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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