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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: cap · vault · calf · present · pop · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pop — soda
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. present — the time now
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — there
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — a gift
  18. cap — of ice

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