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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 · bear · drill · chest · track · calf · trunk · bulb

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. vault — a safe
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a song
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chest — of your body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — the tool

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