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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: plane · board · bark · chip · vault · trunk · firm · lie

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — to get on
  20. firm — steady
  21. vault — a safe
  22. firm — a company
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — a committee

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