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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 120 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: rush · vault · fine · prune · bark · current · trunk · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — happening now
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rush — hurry
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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