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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: vault · calf · saw · bore · stick · field · cell · scale

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cell — a phone
  9. scale — in music
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. field — farmland
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. field — for sport
  18. bore — to tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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