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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. date — the fruit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — army training
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. drill — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. vault — a safe
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — a practice
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. snap — to click
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. date — on the calendar
  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