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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fork — in a road
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — exactly

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