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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — a thing
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. object — to protest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. vault — a safe
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — child
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mate — a friend

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