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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: leaves · board · face · pound · branch · trunk · land · vault

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. land — ground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — a division
  17. land — a country
  18. vault — a safe
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pound — to hit hard

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