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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: wound · ground · chest · bay · track · craft · trunk · vault

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. craft — a skill
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. chest — of your body
  24. trunk — of a car

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