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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spell — letters
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spell — magic
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — the underground

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