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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 116 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: fall · vault · cold · court · calf · bear · bay · stick

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cold — an illness
  7. court — for sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of law
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — the season
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. court — of a king
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bear — the animal
  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