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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spell — a short time
  4. degree — temperature
  5. craft — a skill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. vault — a safe
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. degree — an amount
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. swing — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. degree — from a university
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — a hat
  22. spell — magic
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bank — for money

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