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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · bass · trunk · shower · stem · vault · lash · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a committee
  14. bass — low music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. board — to get on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — rain
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bass — the fish
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stem — to come from
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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