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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. key — for a lock
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. firm — steady
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. firm — decided
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rule — government
  18. firm — a company
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — in music
  23. hand — help
  24. temple — a place of worship

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