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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: pitch · vault · straw · calf · last · bore · wake · rock

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. vault — a safe
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  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