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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: fall · saw · court · trunk · vault · spring · spell · foot

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spring — a coil
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — for sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. court — of a king
  18. spell — letters
  19. fall — the season
  20. court — of law
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spring — the season

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