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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 120 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: rush · kid · vault · rock · arm · row · calf · sharp

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kid — child
  4. row — to paddle
  5. kid — to tease
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a line

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