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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: calf · bat · vault · squash · perch · lie · bear · trunk

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bat — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lie — an untruth

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