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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. vault — a safe
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. roll — a list
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chair — a leader
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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