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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: foot · coach · calf · deal · bat · vault · nail · lean

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lean — thin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. deal — to handle
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lean — to bend

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