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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. field — a subject
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. field — farmland
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. field — for sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to click
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lie — an untruth
  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