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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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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: calf · pass · firm · lean · season · fork · last · vault

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — steady
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lean — thin
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. season — in sport
  13. last — to go on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. firm — a company
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — of the year
  21. firm — decided
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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