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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — a phone
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. drill — army training
  16. cell — in biology
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. degree — temperature
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. vault — a safe

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