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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: wound · rock · wind · trunk · vault · bark · bore · foot

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. foot — a measure
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rock — a stone

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