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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: vault · stick · foot · rule · date · trunk · snap · charge

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — a price
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. date — the fruit
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. foot — a measure
  24. charge — electricity

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