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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: fall · fan · vault · key · hand · calf · bear · pitch

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — in music
  18. hand — help
  19. key — the most important part
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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