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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: cap · trunk · vault · bore · fork · squash · coach · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fork — in a road
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to tire
  19. branch — a division
  20. cap — of ice
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. trunk — of a car

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