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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: scale · stick · nail · calf · row · shower · vault · tube

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. row — to paddle

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