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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 120 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 · game · key · prune · race · hide · branch · vault

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. race — a contest
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a match
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. game — wild animals
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. race — humankind

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