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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — to drop
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — a list
  17. cap — a lid
  18. degree — an amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. cap — of ice
  24. degree — from a university

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