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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cue · cold · can · spell · calf · vault · spring · racket

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cold — not warm
  3. spring — the season
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spell — magic
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — for pool
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spell — letters
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cue — a signal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cold — an illness

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