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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 120 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: suit · craft · charge · chest · game · tear · vault · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. charge — in control
  3. chest — a box
  4. game — wild animals
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. suit — clothes
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. game — a match
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — a price
  15. suit — to fit
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — in cards
  22. vault — a safe
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. craft — boats

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