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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cold — not warm
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cold — an illness
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. vault — in gymnastics

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