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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 · scale · snap · sharp · track · present · tube · vault

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. vault — a safe
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. scale — size or range
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — a song
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. track — a path
  15. present — a gift
  16. track — to keep track
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — in music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. tube — the underground
  24. present — the time now

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