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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: object · spell · vault · ground · straw · club · wave · calf

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — the earth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ground — a position
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. object — an aim
  24. club — for golf

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