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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 116 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: chair · vault · trunk · game · safe · stick · staff · deal

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. staff — employees
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chair — a leader
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — a stick
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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