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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 116 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: cabinet · nail · calf · cold · vault · racket · rock · chair

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. vault — a safe
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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