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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: prune · toast · calf · bat · wound · roll · vault · key

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. key — for a lock
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. toast — bread
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. roll — a list
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. roll — a cake
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — in music
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. vault — a safe

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