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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: squash · present · calf · vault · mine · craft · track · fall

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a song
  4. present — there
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a path
  10. mine — for digging
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — to keep track
  14. present — the time now
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. present — a gift
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fall — the season

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