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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 112 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: wind · bear · rush · calf · vault · pound

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pound — a weight

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