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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · vault · temple · tube · trunk · bark · sharp · cell

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cell — in biology
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — a container
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cell — a phone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. tube — the underground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. vault — a safe
  24. sharp — clever

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