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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — happy
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — a measure
  19. content — the amount
  20. wake — a trail
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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