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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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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: mine · dip · bay · vault · tear · calf · perch · spring

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spring — of water
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tear — to rip
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — the season
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — a coil
  24. dip — to dunk

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