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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — crushed
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — all right
  11. ground — the earth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ground — a position
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — for dancing
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. club — a group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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