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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · tear · calf · staff · wind · drill

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wind — moving air
  14. vault — a safe
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — a practice

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