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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: fan · jam · vault · pitcher · cap · calf · tear · bear

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a hat
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. tear — from crying
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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