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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — rain
  4. land — ground
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. land — to come down
  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