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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: rock · vault · deal · pound · clip · trunk · rule · calf

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rock — music
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. deal — to handle
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. vault — a safe
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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