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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: trunk · vault · toast · game · object · hand · mug · current

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. game — a match
  3. mug — to rob
  4. current — of water
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — electric
  7. object — to protest
  8. toast — bread
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — happening now
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mug — a cup
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. object — a thing
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. vault — a safe

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