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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · calf · wave · rash · bark · vault · ball · mine

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — to shout
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fall — the season
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wave — of the sea
  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