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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. foot — a measure
  3. file — a line of people
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — of water
  9. deal — to handle
  10. file — a document
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rush — hurry
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. spring — the season
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. vault — a safe
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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