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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: last · bore · vault · jam · straw · wind · trunk · mug

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mug — a face
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mug — a cup
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bore — to tire
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. wind — moving air
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. last — finally
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wind — to turn a key

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