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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: drill · branch · rush · trunk · can · vault · cue · clip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. clip — for paper
  3. drill — army training
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. drill — the tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. branch — a division
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — for pool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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