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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. firm — steady
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — a safe
  13. firm — decided
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fall — the season
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — a company
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. foot — the bottom

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