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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: object · ruler · chip · trunk · vault · stem · fan · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. vault — a safe
  12. net — in sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — to cool the air

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