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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: swing · trunk · bound · vault · prune · rest · fan · roll

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bound — certain
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — a break
  8. roll — a list
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. swing — to play on
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — a cake

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