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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 · wave · toast · wake · bore · march · fine · trunk

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. vault — a safe
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — all right
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — to tire
  24. march — the month

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