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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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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: cap · calf · clip · swing · rock · vault · trunk · mug

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mug — a cup
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — a safe
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rock — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. swing — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. swing — to play on
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. clip — a video

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