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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: stem · board · vault · present · prune · temple · bore · trunk

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. board — to get on
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — to come from
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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