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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: wound · nail · trunk · vault · kick · hide · bulb · march

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — in football
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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