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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — to rip
  16. snap — to click
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — a hat
  19. degree — from a university
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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