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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wind — moving air
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bat — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wind — to turn a key

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