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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: vault · fall · chair · trunk · net · firm · land · board

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. land — a country
  4. net — in sport
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. firm — a company
  8. land — ground
  9. vault — a safe
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — decided
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — steady
  14. board — a committee
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fall — the season
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — for catching
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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