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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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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: lean · pitch · calf · vault · shower · rock · cell · trunk

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rock — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitch — completely
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — rain
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — a safe
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rock — a stone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — thin

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