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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.

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: vault · cold · swing · mug · key · fall · trunk · can

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — to rob
  8. vault — a safe
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fall — the season
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cold — not warm
  22. swing — in golf
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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