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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: trunk · stem · vault · bark · saw · wound · mark · land

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stem — to come from

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