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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. track — a path
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — ground
  10. track — to keep track
  11. land — a country
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — a song
  16. land — to come down
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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