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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: stock · plane · face · pop · vault · last · trunk · bound

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — shares
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — finally
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — to point toward
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — soda
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stock — goods
  16. pop — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — a safe
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — final
  23. pop — to visit
  24. face — to confront

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