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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 · fork · shower · vault · roll · foot · face · rock

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. vault — a safe
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — a list
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. face — part of the head
  23. shower — rain
  24. face — to point toward

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