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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: cell · calf · spring · vault · scale · kick · dip · stick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cell — a phone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. scale — in music
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — of water
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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