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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. degree — an amount
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. tube — the underground
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — for betting
  9. staff — employees
  10. chest — a box
  11. staff — a stick
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — a safe
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chest — of your body

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