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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. degree — temperature
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — happening now
  15. chest — a box
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — an amount
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — electric
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. current — of water

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