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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — to recline
  19. vault — a safe
  20. net — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rush — hurry

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