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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — in music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. trunk — of a tree

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