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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: object · perch · chest · trunk · ground · cue · suit · vault

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ground — the earth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ground — crushed
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ground — a position
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — in cards
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — of your body
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — a thing
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — for pool

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