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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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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: calf · pound · cell · vault · bass · fan · bark · lean

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cell — in biology
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. vault — a safe
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lean — thin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cell — a phone

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