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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · fall · wake · object · safe · row · trunk · bore

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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 a king
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. court — of law
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. row — to paddle
  14. court — for sport
  15. fall — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. object — to protest
  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