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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 120 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: board · chest · deal · leaves · vault · craft · calf · stand

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chest — a box
  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