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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — magic
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fine — all right
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — army training
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pop — music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — a short time

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