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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hand — help
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hand — in cards
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. snap — to click
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. track — a path

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