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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — for sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. field — a subject
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — a safe
  24. calf — of the leg

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