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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: mug · trunk · safe · fall · bark · mate · date · vault

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mug — a face
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mate — a friend
  17. vault — a safe
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — to shout
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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