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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pop — music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — soda
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. drill — the tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — army training
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of a tree

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