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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hand — in cards
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hand — help
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — a container
  15. club — for dancing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — of a river
  19. club — a group
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. club — for golf
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. degree — an amount

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