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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — to go on
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pound — a weight
  16. last — finally
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rock — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. degree — from a university
  23. last — final
  24. lean — thin

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