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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 120 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: arm · safe · calf · pound · fall · saw · season · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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