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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. mug — a cup
  3. degree — temperature
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — electric
  8. mug — to rob
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. row — a line
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — a face
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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