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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: stem · vault · dip · fork · trunk · press · lean · lash

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. press — to push
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lean — thin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — a garden tool

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