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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: vault · branch · spell · foot · rule · season · calf · pass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — magic
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. branch — a division
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — letters
  16. foot — a measure
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rule — a law
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spell — a short time

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