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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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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: straw · pitcher · ruler · vault · roll · safe · fork · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. roll — a list
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. vault — a safe
  11. roll — a cake
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — in a road

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