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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. root — of a word
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. object — to protest
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. object — a thing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a plant
  24. degree — an amount

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