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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: toast · wound · perch · calf · craft · bear · vault · coach

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wound — an injury
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. craft — a skill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — of the leg

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