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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 · vault · safe · kid · bound · branch · fork · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. kid — to tease
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. kid — child
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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