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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 116 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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Word bank
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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 · bay · wave · leaves · ball · calf

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ball — a dance
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape

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