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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
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: game · bay · bark · vault · calf · sharp · arm · rush

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — to shout
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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