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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: rest · vault · dip · cell · calf · squash · nail · bear

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cell — in biology
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cell — a phone
  18. dip — to sink
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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