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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tube — the underground
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. row — a line
  17. cold — not warm
  18. tube — a container
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bowl — a dish

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