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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: sharp · mate · mine · object · calf · rock · game · vault

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mate — a partner
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — a thing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. object — to protest
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — wild animals
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rock — a stone
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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