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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. file — a tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a document
  19. mug — a face
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — a line
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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