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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · ground · stem · fan · vault · cue · calf · rush

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cue — for pool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — bread
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cue — a signal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — a position
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — a safe

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