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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: toast · season · game · vault · shower · bear · lie · calf

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. shower — rain
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. game — a match
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — bread
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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