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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: prune · press · vault · lie · trunk · mouse · bank · roll

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — a safe
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — to push
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — a list
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — newspapers

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