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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: stand · bark · calf · face · key · vault · squash · bat

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. face — to point toward
  12. key — in music
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bat — the animal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — to confront
  22. squash — to crush
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. face — part of the head

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