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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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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: stand · trunk · perch · scale · patient · vault · calf · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — a safe
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — in music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cold — an illness
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cold — not warm
  23. perch — for a bird
  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