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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · track · jam · press · patient · vault · dip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — a publisher
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. dip — to sink
  18. press — to push
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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