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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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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 · object · trunk · drill · capital · vault · pound · lean

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. object — an aim
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. drill — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pound — a weight
  14. vault — a safe
  15. capital — money
  16. lean — to bend
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — army training
  23. lean — thin
  24. capital — a city

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