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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: object · vault · net · rush · pitcher · trunk · fall · chest

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — to protest
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. object — an aim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chest — a box
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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