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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 120 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: calf · cabinet · foot · rush · vault · pound · cell · hand

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hand — in cards
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pound — for dogs

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