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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: firm · date · calf · spell · staff · rush · mine · vault

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — a safe
  10. firm — decided
  11. date — the fruit
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — steady
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — hurry
  23. firm — a company
  24. mine — for digging

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