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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: plane · firm · hide · court · band · vault · lash · trunk

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — of a king
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. firm — decided
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. court — for sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. court — of law
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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