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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kid — child
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. track — a path
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. vault — a safe
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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