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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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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: wave · saw · bore · trunk · stand · straw · court · vault

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. court — of a king
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — for sport
  24. trunk — of a tree

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