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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.

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: lie · season · calf · land · chip · vault · bass · stem

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. season — of the year
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — to come from
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — to come down
  24. season — to add flavour

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