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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: present · vault · kid · calf · mate · content · fall · bank

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. content — the amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kid — child
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — happy
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mate — a partner
  23. present — there
  24. mate — to breed

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