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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: wave · bore · chest · court · trunk · current · rock · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — of law
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. court — for sport
  11. current — of water
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chest — of your body
  15. court — of a king
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rock — music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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