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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — a permit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. degree — an amount
  13. squash — to crush
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. row — a line
  24. game — a match

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