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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 · sharp · face · mark · vault · nail · stock · racket

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. face — part of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — a trace
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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