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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 116 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: bark · bat · leaves · dip · board · vault · trunk · ball

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — a committee
  9. dip — to sink
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. vault — a safe
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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