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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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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: row · trunk · wake · lean · fork · vault · pitch · bark

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lean — to rest against

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