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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: wind · rash · arm · cabinet · spell · racket · vault · trunk

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — letters
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — a series
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wind — moving 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