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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: band · wave · calf · vault · march · cell

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. march — music
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. vault — a safe
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a rubber band

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