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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. land — ground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. land — a country
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. land — to come down
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — to crush
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. track — to keep track
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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