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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: jam · vault · court · arm · trunk · spell · branch · wound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. court — for sport
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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