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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: cap · rule · trunk · cell · sharp · fork · branch · vault

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rule — a law
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cell — a phone
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — in a road

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