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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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Word bank
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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 turn the ________________ on?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — an amount
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rash — a series
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rash — hasty
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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