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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: calf · wound · track · hide · vault · band · branch · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. track — to keep track
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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