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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: vault · bulb · fan · trunk · hide · band · kid · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a music group
  24. fine — high quality

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