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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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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: foot · march · vault · mate · trunk · wave · deal · squash

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — to crush
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. march — music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. foot — a measure
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. squash — the sport

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