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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: vault · bank · fork · arm · drill · leaves · key · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — a safe
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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