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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: chest · current · hide · trunk · degree · bay · vault · bound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. current — of water
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. current — happening now
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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