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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. spell — magic
  3. drill — army training
  4. degree — from a university
  5. swing — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. vault — a safe
  8. face — to point toward
  9. degree — temperature
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spell — letters
  12. face — to confront
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — part of the head
  17. swing — to play on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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