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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.

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 · fine · calf · vault · swing · bulb · temple · mug

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — high quality
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. swing — in golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. swing — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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