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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: branch · season · rush · stick · trunk · vault · wind · chair

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — in sport
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — to turn a key

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