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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — rain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — certain
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — in music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a great time

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