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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. vault — a safe
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — an amount
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rule — a law
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — government
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. fall — the season
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rock — music

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