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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: calf · prune · vault · date · kid · lie · bore · toast

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — child
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. toast — bread
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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