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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: calf · stick · foot · coach · vault · tube · tear · deal

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. coach — a trainer

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