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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — there
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. face — to confront
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. degree — from a university
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — a gift
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — all right
  20. degree — an amount
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wave — of the sea

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