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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 116 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: band · clip · saw · kick · plane · bark · calf · vault

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bark — to shout
  10. clip — to cut
  11. band — a ring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. clip — for paper
  18. band — a music group
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — the tool
  22. clip — a video
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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