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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 120 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 · game · bulb · arm · nail · trunk · kick · can

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kick — in football
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — wild animals
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. arm — part of the body
  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