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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: branch · band · bark · vault · face · trunk · pound · bulb

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. face — to point toward
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. vault — a safe
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bark — of a tree

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