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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: bank · date · vault · calf · fork · saw · pound · arm

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. date — the fruit
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — in a road
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. saw — the tool

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