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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: saw · root · vault · ground · calf · lie · shower · file

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. root — of a plant
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — rain
  19. ground — a position
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. root — of a word
  22. file — a document
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ground — crushed

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