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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: stand · trunk · sharp · vault · plane · swing · rest · bound

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — to bear
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — to play on
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bound — tied together
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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