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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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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: squash · calf · tear · stand · present · date · kid · vault

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. date — the fruit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. kid — child
  10. squash — the sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — to bear
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — there
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kid — to tease
  24. squash — the vegetable

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