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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · roll · calf · safe · degree · land · branch · swing

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. roll — a list
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. vault — a safe
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — temperature
  9. branch — a division
  10. swing — in golf
  11. land — ground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a cake
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. land — a country
  19. swing — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. degree — from a university
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. branch — of a tree

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