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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: toast · field · kick · firm · vault · lean · trunk · pop

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pop — music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. field — a subject
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. firm — decided
  7. field — farmland
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. field — for sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — a company
  14. vault — a safe
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lean — thin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. kick — in football
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. firm — steady
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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