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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: spell · calf · wave · cold · roll · vault · hand · rest

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cold — not warm
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cold — an illness
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — a short time
  20. roll — a list
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — of the leg
  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