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

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — a partner
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. last — finally
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. last — to go on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kid — to tease

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