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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. vault — a safe
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cold — not warm
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — an aim
  17. cold — an illness
  18. object — to protest
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. object — a thing
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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