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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: calf · vault · wound · season · firm · pitch · arm · straw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — a company
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. calf — a young animal

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