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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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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: stock · vault · capital · calf · lie · bulb

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stock — goods

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