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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — shares
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — goods

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