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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mate — a friend
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cell — in biology
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — the amount
  12. hand — help
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cell — a phone

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