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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.

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: toast · degree · last · lie · can · calf · lean · vault

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. degree — an amount
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. last — to go on
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — finally
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lie — to recline
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — thin

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