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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: bay · vault · bore · prune · calf · deal · suit · rash

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bore — to drill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rash — a series
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. calf — of the leg

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