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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 120 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
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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: object · tube · spring · rash · bay · trunk · vault · bat

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spring — the season
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. object — a thing
  9. tube — a container
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rash — hasty
  17. vault — a safe
  18. object — to protest
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tube — the underground
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spring — of water
  24. tube — in a tire

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