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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · vault · ball · pass · calf · mine · bay · net

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — for catching
  18. mine — for digging
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. vault — a safe
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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