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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: calf · rush · jam · vault · rest · chest · kid · wave

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rest — a break
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — to tease
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chest — a box
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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