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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. degree — temperature
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — for pool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cue — a signal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wind — moving air
  22. degree — an amount
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. swing — music

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