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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: wind · racket · calf · mouse · vault · last

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — finally
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — final
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — to go on

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