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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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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: vault · calf · chair · bore · snap · band · foot · pound

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. chair — a leader
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. band — a ring
  20. bore — to tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. band — a music group

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