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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 · prune · chest · fork · vault · kick · lean · band

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chest — of your body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. prune — to trim
  12. band — a ring
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fork — in a road
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. band — a music group
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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