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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bound — tied together
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. key — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. calf — of the leg

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