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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · trunk · capital · wound · wave · saw · chip · vault

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. capital — money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. capital — a city
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chip — for betting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bark — of a tree

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