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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: kid · saw · vault · calf · pound · fine · mate · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kid — child
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fine — all right
  23. vault — a safe
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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