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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — a lid
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a line of people
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. file — a document
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cap — of ice
  18. squash — to crush
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a tool
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. jam — in traffic

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