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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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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 · prune · rest · lash · vault · court · branch · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. branch — a division
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. court — of law
  15. rest — a break
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — of the year
  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