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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: court · calf · mouse · kick · vault · race · straw · lean

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. court — of a king
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. court — of law
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. race — a contest
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — humankind

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