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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 120 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
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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: vault · foot · fan · mark · stock · trunk · cold · rock

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stock — shares
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stock — goods
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rock — music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cold — the Cold War

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