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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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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: firm · wound · vault · calf · bore · foot · cell · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. foot — a measure
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — ground
  24. bore — to tire

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