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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 · kick · pass · can · capital · kid · plane · vault

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — a permit

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