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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. craft — boats
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — of the leg

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