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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: club · hide · wave · bulb · vault · object · trunk · tube

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — an aim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. club — for golf
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — a safe
  22. object — to protest
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. club — a group

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