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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: vault · ruler · track · fall · safe · spring · court · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — a coil
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — of a king
  6. track — a song
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spring — of water
  12. fall — the season
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — for sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ruler — a monarch

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