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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: land · calf · vault · kid · pass · roll · chair · rock

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rock — a stone
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. land — ground
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. land — a country

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