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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.

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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: straw · stick · court · object · trunk · plane · tear · bore

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tear — from crying
  3. court — of a king
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. court — for sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. tear — to rip
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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