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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. calf — a young animal

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