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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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468
Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a word
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bass — low music
  22. kid — child
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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