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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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