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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — a group
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cap — a hat
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cap — a lid
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. key — the most important part
  12. vault — a safe
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — of the year
  19. rock — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. key — in music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — for a lock

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