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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. object — an aim
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — hurry
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — a safe
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — a tool

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