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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chest · trunk · spring · prune · charge · swing · can

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. can — to be able to
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — of water
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — a coil
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — to play on
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chest — of your body

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