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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: vault · snap · bear · wind · lash · capital · present · calf

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to click
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. capital — a city
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wind — moving air
  24. capital — money

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