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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: chair · season · vault · lash · date · band · calf · bear

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — of the year
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. date — on the calendar

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