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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.

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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 · track · row · mate · face · bound · stick · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mate — to breed
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bound — obliged
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a partner
  20. row — a line
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. face — to confront
  24. mate — a friend

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