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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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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 · mate · game · cabinet · bat · bark · calf · face

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a match
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bat — the animal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. face — to confront
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — a safe
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bark — of a tree

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