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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — a phone
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. scale — in music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. hand — help
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — belonging to me

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