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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. field — farmland
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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