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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: deal · kid · game · trunk · vault · saw · lean · bass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. deal — to handle
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lean — thin
  11. kid — child
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kid — to tease
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — low music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — a match
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. deal — an agreement

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