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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: trunk · vault · safe · clip · cabinet · club · lean · pop

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. club — for golf
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. vault — a safe
  16. clip — a video
  17. club — a group
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. clip — to cut
  21. club — for dancing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  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