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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: temple · present · swing · calf · track · racket · hide · vault

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. vault — a safe
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — the time now
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — a song
  24. swing — music

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