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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 · swing · game · toast · bulb · vault · spring · mine

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. swing — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. game — a match
  13. spring — the season
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — a coil
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. swing — in golf
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — of a tree

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