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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: last · rash · kid · fine · calf · land · vault · hide

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — a country
  3. last — to go on
  4. rash — a series
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fine — all right
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — final
  13. land — ground
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — a safe
  20. last — finally
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — to come down
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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