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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. degree — from a university
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fall — the season
  15. cap — of ice
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — to keep secret

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