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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a match
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — decided
  9. bound — certain
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. vault — a safe
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bound — tied together
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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