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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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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: stick · wind · trunk · object · vault · club · bound · bat

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. club — for dancing
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. club — a group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — to protest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. club — for golf
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — a thing
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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