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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 116 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: board · lean · season · club · sharp · vault · suit · trunk

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — in cards
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. suit — to fit
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lean — thin
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — a group
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — in sport
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. trunk — of a tree

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