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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 120 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: club · craft · dip · vault · bay · pound · calf · chest

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. craft — boats
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pound — a weight
  8. club — a group
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — a young animal

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