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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: cold · bulb · kid · calf · staff · leaves · chair · vault

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. kid — child
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — of the leg

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