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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. tear — to rip
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — there
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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