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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 120 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: cold · sharp · stick · spell · content · trunk · board · vault

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. content — the amount
  7. cold — an illness
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spell — letters
  11. board — a committee
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — not warm
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. board — to get on
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — magic
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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