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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: chair · fan · branch · bulb · wound · vault · trunk · spell

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. spell — magic
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — a short time
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spell — letters
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bulb — of a plant

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