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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: trunk · vault · patient · bear · hide · rest · racket · court

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. court — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of law
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rest — a break
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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