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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 116 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: stick · trunk · rush · bulb · bore · branch · board · vault

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. branch — a division
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. board — to get on
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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