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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: ground · vault · trunk · saw · band · pop · date · mate

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — soda
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pop — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ground — the earth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ground — a position
  20. band — a music group
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. band — a ring

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