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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. degree — from a university
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — temperature
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — thin
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. drill — the tool

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