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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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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: vault · club · plane · press · branch · fork · face · bark

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — a group
  10. press — a publisher
  11. vault — a safe
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. press — newspapers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. plane — a tool
  21. press — to push
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. face — to confront
  24. plane — an aircraft

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