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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: club · trunk · vault · net · mouse · clip · stick · rest

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. club — a group
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. rest — what's left
  16. clip — a video
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of a tree

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