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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. current — of water
  2. degree — temperature
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — goods
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. current — electric
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stock — shares
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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