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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — temperature
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — an amount
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fine — high quality
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rush — hurry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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