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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cap — a lid
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — temperature
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — the time now
  18. dip — to sink
  19. degree — an amount
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. present — there
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. sharp — with an edge

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