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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stock — goods
  12. vault — a safe
  13. last — final
  14. track — a path
  15. last — finally
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. last — to go on
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a song
  24. degree — an amount

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