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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: trunk · wound · rest · mate · plane · suit · vault · cap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rest — what's left
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. suit — clothes

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