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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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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: cabinet · kid · trunk · roll · date · rule · vault · plane

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kid — to tease
  6. roll — a list
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. kid — child
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — to rule out

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