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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 116 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: wind · rock · sharp · leaves · calf · plane · bear · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — music

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