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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pop — to visit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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