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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: trunk · ball · vault · stem · key · can · drill · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a dance
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. key — in music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. drill — the tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. can — to be able to
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. drill — army training

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