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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 · perch · vault · stick · season · track · nail · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — a path
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — to rip
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. season — to add flavour

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