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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ground — crushed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. toast — bread
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — a face
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mug — a cup
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — to rob
  16. vault — a safe
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ground — a position
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. roll — a list
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. calf — a young animal

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