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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — for money
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rock — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bank — of a river
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. track — a song
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. track — to keep track
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — from a university
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wake — before a funeral

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