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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — to rip
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. craft — boats
  24. bulb — for light

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