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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. game — a match
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spring — a coil
  8. degree — an amount
  9. sharp — clever
  10. spring — the season
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. degree — from a university

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