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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. present — the time now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — there
  5. race — a contest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — a safe
  21. present — a gift
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. branch — of a bank

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