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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: cell · calf · chip · row · vault · wake · staff · cap

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — employees
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — for betting
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cell — a phone
  24. row — a quarrel

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