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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: vault · calf · ground · lie · lean · bulb · bore · leaves

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bore — to drill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. vault — a safe
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ground — a position
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ground — the earth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — of the leg

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