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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chair — a leader
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — in golf
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. shower — to wash

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