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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — a safe
  3. spell — magic
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lean — to bend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rule — government
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — thin
  23. current — of water
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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