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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 116 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
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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: wave · vault · patient · last · court · plane · trunk · leaves

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. court — of law
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — to go on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. court — of a king
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. last — final
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. court — for sport
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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