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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: cue · vault · calf · bear · racket · prune · wound · cold

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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