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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. degree — temperature
  6. vault — a safe
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. degree — from a university
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ball — a dance
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rush — a thrill

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