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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 116 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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. degree — an amount
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. charge — a price
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kick — a thrill

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